To See You Again
by usagi-serenity
Summary: Six years ago he broke her heart. Four years ago he left the country. Today he comes home. When he sees his princess again, can he stay away? An AU in which Mamoru never disobeyed his nightmares.
1. Prologue

I've been deciding between two different fics to write, so this took me a little while to get out. I was choosing between an AU and a Crystal Tokyo origin story, and I decided on the AU. It isn't going to be very long, so it will give me time to prepare for the Crystal Tokyo fic which will be probably the longest piece I've written.

Updates for this may not be very consistent, considering my schedule is packed.

This is based on the 90s anime, but Mamoru is the same age as he is in the manga, making him 23.

Enjoy!

* * *

Mamoru looked out the window, watching as the ground began to grow closer and closer. "Ladies and gentlemen, as we start our descent into Tokyo, Japan, please make sure your seats and tray tables are in their full upright position. Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Thank you," the loud voice of the pilot boomed over the speakers. Mamoru tore his eyes away and rested his elbows on the armrests. He subconsciously ran a hand through his unruly black hair. Even at such an ungodly hour, he was wide awake.

It had been four years since he had been in Japan. Four years since that godsend of an acceptance letter came in the mail and took him away from all of his problems. Studying at Harvard had always been a dream of his, and he had finally fulfilled it. He spent four years studying excessively, preparing to become a doctor like he always hoped he would be. Those years had flown by, and now here he was, on a flight back to Japan to begin an internship at Juuban Hospital.

He was planning on staying in America permanently and getting an internship at a hospital in Boston, but the offer at Juuban was just too good to pass up. He would be shadowing the doctor that had treated him after the crash that had killed his parents and his memories. Dr. Akiyama had been working at the hospital for 30 years and was well respected among the hospital staff. The thing that really did it for Mamoru was the fact that Dr. Akiyama was the man who had made Mamoru want to be a doctor in the first place. He would be overjoyed if it wasn't for one small fact.

Usagi was in Tokyo.

Six years ago, Mamoru was forced to let go of the best thing that ever happened to him. He had always been alone until the little blonde ray of sunshine crashed into his life (literally). Once he had Usagi, he thought he would never have to feel the emptiness he had lived with for eleven years ever again. He actually believed that something good had happened to him. He would never imagined to be the one to break up with _her_ , but in the life of Mamoru Chiba, things never worked out in his favor.

Some cryptic nightmares that told him about his girlfriend's impending doom forced him to break up with Usagi. It had been unexplainably hard at first. Usagi's relentless attempts to change his mind nearly broke him time after time. His heart kept trying to fight his conscience and scoop up the little bunny and kiss her senseless.

Eventually she moved on. It made avoiding her somewhat easier for Mamoru, but it felt like some part of him died that day. Chibi-Usa vanished along with the enemy they were fighting, prompting the senshi to believe the little girl had found her way home and the enemies gave up and moved somewhere else. The nightmares ceased and were replaced by torturous dreams in which Mamoru and Usagi were happily married, breaking him down into painful sobs when he woke up and returned to his lonely life.

The plane skidded to a stop and the passengers began to applaud. Mamoru gazed out the window and took a deep breath.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Tokyo International Airport. The local time is 4:37 AM. Thank you for flying with United Airlines."

* * *

I'll try to have the next update out ASAP. Leave a review and tell me what you think so far! I can't stress how much hearing your thoughts means to me


	2. Chapter 1

Hey guys! I'm really sorry I couldn't get this out sooner. I had massive writer's block and was stuck for weeks. Along with that I've been struggling to keep my grades up with all the stuff I'm doing after school. I'm not going to go into any detail, but it's been a stressful month.

I'm still not satisfied with this chapter. It's a lot shorter than the chapters I usually put out, but I felt like I just _needed_ to put something out.

Enjoy!

* * *

Mamoru pulled the door to his apartment open and trudged inside. His tired eyes fell to his watch; the hands read 5:13 AM. He groaned loudly and squinted out the window where he could see the sun peeking out over the mountains.

He glanced around the apartment. Boxes were spread out around the living room along with dusty pieces for furniture he hadn't needed to bring to Harvard. He planned on selling this place and all of the stuff in it, but just never got around to it. He silently thanked himself, for it saved him the tiresome job of finding a new apartment and furniture.

Mamoru dragged himself into his bedroom and sat on the bed, pressing the heels of his hands into his closed eyes. He dragged his palms down his cheeks and studied the room around him. Everything looked just like he remembered it, with the small absence of items he had yet to unpack from his Harvard boxes. A small chuckle escaped his throat. Who knew he could get so nostalgic over an apartment?

His heart stopped when his eyes landed on a small photograph. His feet subconsciously dragged him over to the frame. His hands reached out to brush the glassy surface. His thumb brushed across Usagi's smiling face as she squeezed his arm tightly. They looked so young. So innocent. So _happy_.

The smile on his past self's face was bigger than it had ever been in the past six years. All of ones he had given were all half-hearted and almost entirely fake. His heart had never quite healed from the sudden loss of Usagi, and there seemed to be a piece missing.

As soon as he felt the sting of tears in his eyes, Mamoru opened a drawer and shoved the picture inside. He couldn't be acting so vulnerable. Not while he could see his ex at any moment. He needed to keep his guard up. He had to.

He didn't know if he could control himself if he didn't.

* * *

Usagi stepped out of the sliding glass doors of Crown, shivering at the cold weather that greeted her outside the warm arcade. She bit her numbing lips, shoving her paycheck into her pocket. Motoki had definitely been generous with her money this week, considering she showed up late almost every single day. Being childhood friends with your boss had its benefits.

As her hand slid out of her pocket, her eyes landed on the protruding lump underneath her mitten. She ripped off the white fabric, revealing the ring that had consumed her thoughts constantly over the past three days.

Usagi stared at it intently. Had she made the right decision by saying yes? Seiya was such a good guy and constantly showered her with love, but was marriage really the best idea? She loved him, sure, but she could never tell whether or not it was romantic.

She gnawed on her lip. They had been dating for four years. Saying no would have been impossible- she had made him wait for such a long time. It hadn't helped that his proposal was broadcasted on live television during a concert of his. She had felt so roped in that there was absolutely no way to reject him without being labeled "the whore who broke Seiya Kou's heart".

She gasped when her head smacked into the chest of another person, knocking her down. Usagi cursed herself; she hadn't had a klutz attack like that in years. "I'm so sorry," she mumbled, rubbing her head. She squinted her eyes open, seeing a pair of insanely bright purple pants. Deja vu pounded in the back of her brain. Her vision ascended and she saw a hideous green jacket on the person's torso. _No way…_ she thought. _He moved away years ago_. Her breath caught in her throat when she made eye contact with shell-shocked cobalt blue eyes.

"Mamo-chan?" she whispered.

They were frozen in place as they stared at each other, unsure of what to do. She felt the cold December breeze blowing her hair into her face and heard complaints of passerbys telling them to move, but she couldn't.

After what seemed like an eternity, Mamoru cleared his throat. "It's… um… nice to see you, Usagi-san." The nod she replied with was so small that she wasn't even sure if he saw it or not. He extended his hand out to her, and she reluctantly took it. His palm felt the same; slightly calloused, but still soft and reassuring. As soon as she was back on her feet, she retracted her hand as if it was on fire.

Usagi blushed, hiding her left hand behind her back. She suddenly felt embarrassed by her engagement ring. Had he noticed?

She fought the urge to laugh at herself. As if he would even care.

"What brings you back to Juuban?" she forced out, the sentence sounding unfinished. She couldn't call him Mamo-chan, but she couldn't bring herself to call him Mamoru-san either. The corners of his lips turned upward, but his eyes averted themselves from her. She noticed the glassiness in them, but wasn't sure if it was just a trick of the lighting.

"I…" he pursed his lips. "I got an amazing offer for an internship at the hospital here in Juuban," he summarized. Usagi smiled despite the awkward atmosphere. It had always been a dream of Mamoru's to become a doctor, specifically at Juuban.

"Congrats!" she laughed, clasping her hands together under her chin. He turned toward her and nodded toward the hand that had freed itself from its hiding place behind her back.

"You too."

She blinked, before realizing what he meant. "Oh, right." The words lingered in the air as Usagi subconsciously twisted the ring around her finger. Her face grew red- not just from the cold.

"Well, it was good to see you," he told her, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Before she could respond, he walked past her and made his way down the street. Once he was out of her sight, she smacked herself in the forehead. She had always imagined being so smooth and charismatic when she ran into her ex, making him wish he had never given her up in the first place. Not slamming into him on the street and having an awkward conversation about jobs and engagement rings.

She groaned and began to walk home, making sure she didn't slam into any more old friends.

* * *

As soon as he was around the corner, Mamoru took a breath for the first time in five minutes. He had expected to run into Usagi sooner or later, but he wasn't prepared for the encounter on his way to catch up with Motoki on his first day back.

She looked different. So much so that he almost didn't recognize her at first. She was taller, having been almost the height of his nose despite only reaching his collarbone six years ago. Her hair was much shorter, too. The long, floor length locks and been chopped off at her shoulders. She seemed to have retired the odango hairstyle, which made Mamoru's heart sink at the very thought. He couldn't see the rest of her very well, due to her marshmallow of a coat and different assortments of winter apparel.

And then, of course, there was the ring.

Obviously, he wasn't expecting her to stay attached to him forever. When they were teenagers, she began to stop begging him to take her back after a couple of months. From what Motoki told him before he moved away, she hadn't wanted to date anyone after the break-up, but that didn't change the fact that usagi was breathtakingly gorgeous and was a walking ball of sunshine. _Of course_ someone would come and sweep her off her feet. He just didn't expect it to happen so soon.

Usagi was 20. She was engaged at only 20. It wasn't exactly unheard of, but Mamoru thought he had a few more years before he had to let go for good.

He never planned on getting married. Nobody could ever come close to filling the void that leaving Usagi planted within his soul. Clearly Usagi was much different, but he would only have expected her to be in a relationship at the very most.

He turned and walked away, silently cursing himself. He couldn't care. He wouldn't care. It was none of his business.

Mamoru just hoped he could keep reminding himself of that.

* * *

I'm not making promises for when I'll be able to post the next chapter, but hopefully it won't be as long of a wait as this chapter had.


	3. Chapter 2

Hey guys! This came out a lot faster than I expected, but it still isn't very long. I haven't been very motivated by this fic, but I'm trying to get it finished as soon as I can. There's going to be about 2-3 more chapters, so get ready for angst in the next one!

Enjoy!

* * *

"So, Odango-chan? What did you think?"

Usagi's eyes snapped open as a small "Hmm?" left her lips. Taiki pinched the bridge of his nose and Yaten groaned. "Are you kidding me?" he asked her, nearly dropping his guitar in exasperation. Seiya nudged his bandmates, looking to his betrothed.

"I liked it," Usagi reassured, smiling at her fiance.

"Lies!" Yaten screeched, earning a shove from Seiya. Usagi breathed deeply, guilt flashing in her azure eyes.

"I'm sorry, Seiya. I didn't sleep much last night. It really was great." Next to her, Minako was nearly bouncing out of her seat.

"I, for one, loved it! It captured everything a great Christmas song needs, along with the best things about J-Pop! You guys really outdid yourselves." The band glared at the senshi of Venus.

"Aino-san, you can kiss up all you want. You're not opening for us at our show," Taiki told her. Minako crossed her arms and huffed, slouching in her chair. Seiya looked to Usagi.

"Are you sure it was good?" he asked once more, taking her hand. She grinned and nodded.

"I'm _sure_ Seiya. Come on. Every song you write is amazing." He smirked.

"Well, I can't argue with fact." Usagi giggled, retracting her hand.

"Alright, I better be going. I don't wanna be late for work again," she said as she reached for her coat.

"You had work today?" Yaten asked. Usagi looked at him, confused.

"Um, yeah? It's Tuesday, of course I have work." The Three Lights and Minako looked at each other nervously. Usagi paled. "What?" Taiki gestured to the clock.

"Don't you usually have to be at work by 1?" Usagi's eyes whipped to the ticking circle hanging above the door. The hands read 1:26.

"Shit," the blonde hissed, grabbing her coat, throwing her scarf around her neck and plopping the hat on her head messily. "I need to go. Bye, everyone!" After being stopped by Seiya with a quick peck, she sprinted out the door.

* * *

The loud ring of a bell filled the air in the Crown Arcade as Mamoru stepped through the door. He scanned the room. It looked almost the same as it had so many years ago.

Motoki made eye contact with Mamoru over the counter and waved, grinning widely. He returned the gesture and made his way over to his usual seat. The blonde laughed, leaning on the marble.

"Still chose the same seat?" he asked. Mamoru chuckled.

"I'll have a coffee, Motoki," he responded in the same sarcastic tone. Motoki grabbed a mug and twirled it on his finger.

"Black?"

"What else?" Motoki winked and walked over to the espresso machine. Mamoru leaned on the counter. "So, still working at this dump? I thought it was just going to be a high school gig." Motoki whipped his head around, smirking.

"I'll have you know I'm the _manager_ of this 'dump' now, Mamoru. I could ban you from ever coming back right now if I wanted to." He turned off the machine and walked back over to his high school friend. Mamoru took the steaming mug from him and smiled.

"Hey, I'm proud of you. I know how much this place means to you. It's great that you get to make money doing something you love," Mamoru told him, taking a sip of coffee.

Motoki smiled. "Thanks, man. You too! I mean, getting an internship at Juuban at only 23 after attending Harvard? That's incredible!" Mamoru laughed and winked.

"And you always told me to stop spending so much time studying." Motoki shrugged, waving to a group of tennagers walking out the door. Mamoru took a sip of coffee and smiled to himself. He never really noticed how much he missed the Crown.

"So, Mamoru, run into anyone from your past yet?" Motoki asked, leaning his elbow against the countertop. Mamoru stopped drinking and set his mug down. He cleared his throat.

"Well, I saw Saori-san and Kobayashi-kun this morning. They're finally dating." Motoki nodded.

"Anybody else?"

Mamoru looked down. "Um, I ran into Usak..um...Usagi-san yesterday. She seemed… happy." Motoki's eyes softened. He remembered how hard it was on both teenagers when they split up. Mamoru laughed and rocked back in his chair. "I'm sure I won't be running into her much at all, though. I'll be busy at the hospital, and she probably won't be spending much time outside of work either. Hell, this place will probably be the only place I go during my free time."

Motoki bit his lip. "Yeah, about that, Mamoru-"

"I'm so sorry that I'm late again, Motoki! Seiya's band practice ran late and-" Mamoru stiffened at the high pitched voice coming from behind him. "Oh, hello Mamo-ch…" He heard Usagi cut herself off and winced as a strangled noise escaped her throat. "Mamoru-san," she corrected, not sounding sure of herself.

Mamoru turned his head and looked her in the eye, breathing deeply. "Usagi-san…" They looked at each other in silence, blocking out the shrieks of teenagers running around the arcade.

"Usagi-chan, why don't you go in the other room and put your uniform on?" Motoki suggested, breaking the silence. Usagi started before nodding and quickly walked off into the back room. Mamoru released the air in his throat, slamming his elbows onto the counter and covering his eyes with his palms.

"I don't understand why it has to be so awkward between us. It's been six years. Why can't we just have a normal conversation like two normal people?" he asked, more to himself than to Motoki.

"Don't know, maybe because you're still in love with her?"

Mamoru sent a death glare at his blonde companion. "Motoki, _of course_ I'm still in love with her. It's not much of a secret. I always have been and always will be." Motoki rolled his eyes.

"Which makes me even more curious as to why you broke up with her in the first place." Mamoru sipped his coffee, rocking back on his stool and closing his eyes. "Wow. I haven't seen you in four years and you _still_ won't tell me the reasoning behind both of your hearts being shattered?" Motoki groaned, leaning over the counter to get closer to his friend. Mamoru sighed.

"Motoki, I've said it a million times: I can't tell y-"

"Haha, I'm back," a soft voice came from behind Motoki. He stepped aside, giving Mamoru a better view of his ex. Usagi was pulling on her short locks, looking away nervously. As his eyes wandered over her figure, Mamoru's breathing became more and more uneven. This was the third time he had looked at her since his arrival, but the other two, she was wrapped from head to toe in various coats, scarves, and hats. This time, she was wearing a rather fitted dress with an apron tied around her waist.

And she looked good.

The fabric clung to her prominent curves, which had become much, much more pronounced than they were four years ago. Her body had shifted into a perfect hourglass shape, with curves in all the right places. Mamoru had always thought she was beautiful, but she had become fucking _sexy_.

"Um, I'm going to go work the prize booth, Motoki. Call me if you need anything." She walked away, giving Mamoru one more lingering glance.

He felt an elbow nudge his side as he snapped out of his trance. Motoki stared at him with a raised eyebrow. The arcade manager tapped beneath his bottom lip, causing Mamoru to realize that he had been drooling. "Are you going to tell me why your female employees have such *cough* tight uniforms?" Motoki snickered, glancing at Usagi.

"Hey, I only provide the aprons. Wearing that dress was Usagi's decision."

Mamoru slammed his head on the counter. That girl was going to be the death of him.

* * *

As Usagi handed the little girl she was currently attending to a teddy bear, she shifted her gaze to Mamoru. He was chatting with Motoki, sipping away at his coffee. _Probably black_ , she mused, giggling to herself. It was always his favorite. His eyes met her own and they both turned away, blushing. Usagi's nostalgic smile fell as she recalled what she overheard.

" _Of course I'm still in love with her. It's not much of a secret. I always have been and always will be."_

The declaration made her heart flutter, but she couldn't wrap her head around the concept. If he still loved her, why had he been so adamant about breaking up despite her endless protests? If their separation had been just as hard on him as it was on her, why did he do it?

She had to find out. It didn't matter how much pushing she needed to do. She was going to get an answer out of him, no matter the cost.


	4. Chapter 3

Yes, I'm aware that it's been over two moths since I've last updated. I've been going through a really bad stage of depression, but I'm not going to get into that. I just didn't have any will to do much of anything, especially write. I doubt updates are going to be very consistent, but I'm going to try to get them out as frequently as I can. I'm really sorry for the wait.

Enjoy!

* * *

Usagi looked her reflection up and down once again, taking in her appearance. She wanted to look sexy, but not too over-the-top as to make him suspicious. Her hair was slightly curled at the ends and her makeup was a little excessive. She hummed in thought. Her cropped shirt was low-cut, but not _too_ low-cut The jeans she wore were high-waisted, showing off her butt. She wore a thin denim jacket over the ensemble, knowing she would be cold, but not wanting to ruin the sexy vibe she was putting out.

If she could just get Mamoru to tell her why he broke up with her, everything could go back to the way it was. If he could give her a valid reason for her heartbreak, they could restore the bond they once had.

Pulling her black thigh-high boots up, she grabbed her phone and walked out of her room. As she passed the kitchen, she scooped her keys off the counter and made her way to the door of her apartment. Hesitating for a moment, she grabbed the brass knob and turned it slightly.

"Surprise!"

Usagi jumped back, screaming. With a laugh, Seiya stepped inside, carrying flowers and a bottle of wine. She barely even noticed him kiss her frozen lips as she tried to catch her breath.

"Seiya! You scared me!" He just chuckled in response and made his way further into the apartment.

"I brought cabernet and roses- your favorite! I thought we could have a stay-in date night!" Usagi stammered for an answer, her gaze switching between Seiya and the door.

"I… I-uh, uh, think that… um…" Seiya seemed to not notice her nervous habits, since he just reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a dvd. He continued to talk as he messed around with the player.

"I forced Yaten to go out and rent this. I know you've been wanting to watch this movie for a while and just haven't gotten around to it, so…"

He looked over at his bride-to-be, who was looking unusually anxious. "Oh. I'm sorry, Dango. If you were about to go out, we can do this another night."

Usagi glanced between the door and Seiya. If she didn't go to Mamoru, she may never know why he broke up with her. If she didn't stay with Seiya, it could break his heart.

She smiled at Seiya. "It was nothing important. It can wait until another day," she reassured him, walking over and getting two wine glasses from the cabinet. He grinned, wrapping his arms around her as she set them down on the coffee table. Reluctantly, she returned the gesture. What was she thinking? She was _engaged_ , and she was chasing around her ex like a chicken with its head cut off.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear. Usagi squeezed her eyes shut.

"I love you too," she mumbled back. For the first time, she noticed the uncertainty her voice.

She just hoped Seiya didn't hear it too.

* * *

Mamoru hung up his white lab coat and retrieved his brown suede one from the coat rack. His first couple of days under Dr. Akiyama's wing had been pretty successful. The doctor had been so kind and respectful to him. He treated Mamoru like a coworker, rather than just an intern, which really made Mamoru feel welcome.

"Great job today, Chiba-kun," Dr. Akiyama complimented, lightly slapping Mamoru on the back.

"Thank you, Dr. Akiyama-san. It's always a pleasure working with you." Dr. Akiyama nodded at Mamoru as he went off into his office. The intern made his way out of the hospital and took a breath of fresh air. There was nothing like the outdoors after being cooped up in a hospital for eleven hours.

His feet began to lead him down the streets of Tokyo. He honestly had never noticed how much he missed his home city until he was back. America was nice, but Japan was so much more homey.

He honestly wasn't completely sure what it was that made Japan feel so much more welcoming. Of course, it could just be that he was raised there, so it's what felt most natural. It could be that the people in Japan generally take better care of the Earth than in America, so his powers might be stronger in his birthplace.

Mamoru shook his head. No, he knew why. America and Japan were extremely different, but there was only one thing that seemed big enough to make Japan feel so much more like home.

Usagi.

She was the only person who had ever made him feel truly happy. How he survived the last six years without her in his arms baffled him. How he _still_ managed to push aside the urge to scoop her up and kiss those plump, rosy lips of hers was even more incredulous.

The fact that she was engaged hurt a lot. He would admit that. Just the thought of her being married to anyone but him made his heart ache. Mamoru sighed to himself as he recalled a bittersweet memory; their first official date.

The whole night was just perfect. He had brought her up onto the top of Tokyo Tower for a moonlight picnic (the feeling of her warm body pressed into his as he leaped across the rooftops was something he could never forget). They talked about the most random things for hours, like if animals could understand people and how much cake was _too_ much cake (he had reasoned that it was three slices at the absolute most, and she determined that there was no such thing as too much of any food).

Somehow they got into the topic of what they wanted to do when they were older. Mamoru described his dream about becoming a doctor, and the way her face lit up when he talked about something so passionately was ingrained into his brain.

Usagi explained that she wanted to be a bride. She wanted the most lavish ceremony, with all of the western wedding traditions. She wanted to wear a long white gown and veil, toss a bouquet to her bridesmaids, and have a cake bigger than her. It had taken him a while to notice that her vision involved _him_ as well ("our cake", "our friends", "our wedding"). When he questioned her about it, she just gave him a deadpan look, telling him that " _of course_ it would be our wedding. If you think I'm losing you again after everything that's happened you're insane."

Mamoru shook his head. They had been so young, so naive. They didn't seem to realize that life isn't a fairy tale, even when you're the reincarnation of a star-crossed couple reborn to find each other again.

The ringing of a bell snapped him out of his thoughts. Somehow his feet had taken him to the Crown. To Usagi. He saw her from across the room, making a milkshake. Her outfit was much more modest than the dress she wore the day prior: a pastel pink sweater with white jeans. Still, that didn't make it any less harder for Mamoru to resist her.

He approached her hesitantly, sitting down in his usual seat. He took a deep breath. They needed to have an actual conversation; he wasn't sure if he could live with all the awkward small talk. "Oi, Odango. I'll have a coffee. Bl-"

"Black," she finished for him. Mamoru laughed lightly, looking down. Usagi blushed lightly, obviously embarrassed about the fact that she remembered such a small detail. She glanced at him before going over to the coffee machine.

Mamoru watched as she fumbled for the mug, slightly cursing under her breath when she almost dropped it. When she finally managed to bring him his coffee, he decided to address the elephant in the room.

"So, who's the lucky guy?" he asked, trying not to let the spite he felt enter his tone. She blinked, confused for a moment. She glanced down at her hand and her eyes widened.

"Oh! Um, well, he's… um… you wouldn't know him. Wait no, you probably do, but you don't… ah shit." She buried her face him her hands. Mamoru raised an eyebrow at her puzzling reaction, and Usagi ran her hands down her face. "Actually, I'm surprised you _don't_ know who my fiance is. It's been everywhere recently."

The last sentence had a tinge of bitterness to it, which surprised Mamoru. "Everywhere, huh?" Usagi chuckled.

"Well, that's what happens when you're engaged to a pop singer…" She crossed her arms. "Ever hear of Seiya Kou?"

"Never heard of him. Not much of a surprise though, I don't exactly follow pop culture." Usagi nodded in remembrance, placing one hand on the table and leaning against it. Mamoru subconsciously covered it with his own. They both looked at the overlapping hands bashfully, but neither pulled back. Mamoru shifted his gaze and met Usagi's eyes, taking in the piercing blue that he basically had engraved into his brain. Even though she had grown up and changed so much, those eyes remained a constant. His eyes fell to her pink lips, so close to his own that if he just leaned forward…

"Mamo-chan?"

"Hmm?" He barely registered the use of the pet name, and his fingers began to move in circles over her hand.

"Why… why did you break up with me in the first place?" He flinched, pulling his hand away from hers. Mamoru averted his gaze, sipping his coffee.

"I just didn't love you anymore," he lied, cringing.

"Yes, you did," she said. His eyes flew to hers in shock. "I overheard you and Motoki. If you never stopped loving me, why did you do that to me? To us?"

"Usa…"

"We had something, Mamo-chan. Not many people find what we had. I've spent the past six years wondering what I did wrong, what I could have _possibly_ done to ruin something so magical, when this whole time, you still loved me. _Why_ did you do it?!"

Mamoru stared at her in shock, not sure how to respond. "It… it's complicated," he managed to say. Usagi shook her head.

"No, it's not. You just won't tell me."

Mamoru looked away. "I'm sorry, Usa." She scoffed, walking into the back room.

"Yeah, me too."


	5. Chapter 4

This chapter took me a really long time to write. I knew how I wanted it to go, but I just couldn't figure out how to get from Point A to Point B in each of the scenes. I'm still not 100% satisfied with it, but I think it came out pretty well.

Only one more chapter after this one!

Enjoy!

* * *

 _Usagi sighed. Cheers of her family and friends could be heard in the distance. She was wearing the wedding dress that she had looked at with her mother, but was way too out of her price range. Seiya was walking next to her, his arm intertwined with hers. The sound of wedding bells chimed and champagne was being popped open. Everything was so perfect; it was the exact wedding she had always dreamed of having since she was twelve. She shifted her eyes to look at her groom._

 _It wasn't Seiya._

 _Mamoru's eyes were staring down at her with an intensity that she only vaguely remembered from when they were together. It made her heart flutter and ache at the same time._

" _Mamo-chan, we're finally married, aren't we?" she heard herself say. Mamoru turned to her and smiled widely._

" _Usako, I will never let you go." The certainty in his voice made Usagi shudder. She felt her cheeks heat up and noticed that his face was slowly getting closer to hers._

" _Mamo-chan…"_

" _Usako…"_

 _She closed her eyes contently and smiled. "I'm so happy…" Mamoru's arms wrapped around her petite body tightly and she pressed onto her toes to reach his lips, just as she always had to do._

 _Their lips met, and the ground under them broke, causing her to fall out of Mamoru's arms and into a bright void. A piercing scream erupted from her lips as she watched Mamoru escape her vision._

" _Usako!"_

" _Mamoru Chiba, you must not get close to Usagi Tsukino. When the two of you are bound together, the world will crumble, and Usagi Tsukino, Princess Serenity, will be struck by misfortune." Mamoru looked around angrily, seeming to be searching for the source of the voice._

" _You're lying! It's a lie!"_

Usagi woke up screaming. Sweat was dripping from her brow, and tears were welling in her eyes.

"Woah, Odango! Are you alright?" Seiya asked, sitting up. Usagi nodded, trying to steady her breath.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a nightmare." He raised an eyebrow, grabbing one of her hands and squeezing it. She ripped it away as if the contact had burned her skin, and she smiled lightly.

"Do you wanna talk about it or…" Usagi's eyes widened and flew to her fiance's worried gaze.

"No!" Seiya blinked at her sudden outburst, and Usagi bit her lip. "I'm… I'm fine. I promise. Just… go back to sleep." When Seiya rolled over, she buried her face in her hands, letting out a breath she didn't even know she had been holding. Usagi turned her head to face the clock on her nightstand. 5:03 AM. She groaned and rolled out of bed. There was no way she was going to be able to go back to sleep.

* * *

"I just don't know what to do! He was _really_ hot, but his voice is just so weird! I don't think I can handle that in a relationship!" Makoto, Ami, and Rei groaned simultaneously at their friend's logic as they stepped out of the small cafe into the chilly winter weather.

"Minako, it seems like every guy you go out with, there's some little thing wrong with him, and you never see him again," Makoto sighed. Minako shrugged.

"So? If there's something I can't live with, I'm not gonna date them," she explained, leaning against the glass window and taking a sip of the coffee she had decided to order right as they were leaving.

"Maybe you should just give him another chance," Ami suggested, putting her wallet into her purse. "After a while you'll get used to his voice." Minako hummed.

"Nah, I think I'll just let him down nicely."

Rei scoffed. "You're so shallow." The flaxen made a pouty face.

"Aww, Rei, you're just jealous that I'm getting so many dates and you're not." She puckered her lips and got close to the dark-haired shrine maiden's face. "It's ok, the Goddess of Love will give you a kiss to make you feel better." Rei leaned forward and pecked Minako on the lips nonchalantly, quickly walking ahead of the group. Shell-shocked, Minako stared at the senshi of Mars. Makoto cleared her throat and turned to the silent blonde lingering behind the rest of the group.

"So Usagi, have you and Seiya decided on a date yet?" Usagi continued to stare at the ground while she walked. "Usagi?" Her head snapped up and met Makoto's concerned eyes.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"Are you feeling alright?" Ami asked, placing her hand on Usagi's shoulder. The blonde gave a forced smile and shook her head.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's nothing."

"Is this about Mamoru?" Minako spat, crossing her arms. Usagi's eyes flashed with fear for a moment, and it didn't go unnoticed. Minako scoffed and rolled her eyes, lifting her cup to her lips. "I can't believe he even had the nerve to come back here after all the shit he's done. You really dodged a bullet, Usa. Seiya's so much better for you."

The princess shrugged and fiddled with her engagement ring. "He's alright, I guess…"

Minako spit out her coffee onto Rei's red blouse, who inhaled sharply and clenched her fist. " _Alright?_ Usagi, Seiya is an international pop icon who is sexy, sweet, sexy, rich, and SEXY! Mamoru dumped you for no reason after leading you on for weeks." Usagi twisted a lock of hair around her finger and swallowed.

"Well, what if his reason was justified? Like, what if it wasn't just out of the blue? What if he was trying to… protect me?" Minako rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but he _wasn't_. If he was, he would've said something, right?"

Makoto's eyebrows furrowed. "Usa, you're not reconsidering your engagement, are you?" Usagi stiffened, looking like a deer in the headlights.

"No, of course not! I was just… thinking out loud. I guess since he came back I've been thinking about our breakup a lot, that's all." Ami nodded.

"It makes sense. She hasn't seen him in four years, so it's logical that seeing him again would trigger old feelings, even if they're just questions that have never been answered." Usagi smiled, gesturing to Ami.

"See, I'm fine! Don't worry about me, I'll be over it in a few days." The senshi exchanged looks.

"Are you sure?" Rei asked. Usagi shook her head.

"Of course. You know me, always upset over the smallest things." Her friends shrugged, continuing to walk down the sidewalk. Usagi began to join them, but she felt a hand pull her back. Rei raised an eyebrow, refusing to release the princess's arm.

"Rei wha-"

"You know, marriage is a huge deal. It's not just something you do because you feel like you have to." Usagi looked down.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Rei rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on. You don't love Seiya. You love Mamoru." Usagi froze and jerked back.

"No, I do-"

"Usagi, you only said yes to dating Seiya to get your mind off of Mamoru." Usagi shoved her hands into her pockets.

"So what? I'm engaged to Seiya, not Mamoru."

"You don't have to be." Usagi opened her mouth to respond, but Rei was already running back to the group.

* * *

Mamoru woke up to an aggressive knocking on his door. It shocked him at first, considering that not many people knew that he was back in town, and the people that did weren't the type to just show up uninvited, especially so early. He suspected that it could be Motoki, but he never visited without calling first, and even so, there wasn't much of a reason for him to be visiting Mamoru anyway when he came to the Crown nearly every day.

Mamoru made his way across the apartment, his pace quickening with every knock. He twisted the knob and swung the door open, his breath catching when he noticed who his guest was.

"Usako…"

Usagi walked past him and entered the living room, removing her black slides in one swift motion. She looked like she just woke up, with her gray sweats and hair piled up into a sloppy bun. Mamoru blinked at his ex's abrupt entrance, turning around to face her. "Come in?"

Usagi crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Mamoru Chiba I swear to God if you broke my heart all because of some dream…" Mamoru froze.

"How do you know about that?"

Usagi groaned. "What the fuck is wrong with you? What, did you trust some random ominous dream more than you trusted me?"

"You could've died!"

"Oh come on!" She threw her hands in the air and began to pace around the room. "I understand that we were young, and we were dumb, but did you really believe that? They were nothing more than some stupid nightmares!" Mamoru grabbed her hand and whipped her around to face him.

"You try watching the only person you've ever loved die right in front of your eyes every night." Usagi blinked, her eyes becoming glassy. "I knew they were just dreams, and I knew that they might not be true, but if there was the slightest chance that our love could _kill you_ , I couldn't just let it happen." Usagi frowned and gently pulled her hand out of his grasp.

"Maybe if you just talked to me we could've-"

"You wouldn't have understood! You wouldn't just said "I don't mind dying if we can be together!'" Usagi rolled her eyes at his impression of her.

"I don't sound like that."

"You did when you were fourteen." Mamoru crossed his arms and stared down the blonde. With her pouty lips, makeupless eyes, and determined gaze, he could've sworn she was a teenager again. It was as if she was still his Usako, and he her Mamo-chan.

He hadn't noticed how close they were until Mamoru could feel her choppy breaths on his skin. Her expression became softer and her eyelids drooped, but she didn't break eye-contact with him. He could have sworn he saw her lips pucker slightly as their faces inched closer and closer together.

His entire mind was screaming at him to stop. She was engaged. She had a fiance. Hell, she could _die._

Her lips brushed his like a feather before she dropped her head in shame, resting her forehead on his chin. Mamoru blinked. What was he doing? How could he have let some meaningless dreams take away the only good thing that ever happened to him?

He heard her release a shaky breath. "I'm sorry, I…"

He snaked his arms around her waist, and he felt her body jerk in surprise. She lifted her head with a bewildered shine in her eyes. His hand subconsciously began to trace circles on her back. "Do you still love me?" Usagi whispered, cheeks flushing as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

"Always," he responded, not missing a beat.

She pushed off of him, heading for the door and hastily slipping her shoes on.

"Usagi I-"

Their eyes met for a moment, and he could feel the thousands of emotions radiating off of her. The look in her eyes was so longing, so desperate, so _pitiful_ that it made his heart drop to his stomach. She practically ran into the hallway, forgetting to close the door behind her. Mamoru collapsed onto the couch, running his hands over his face.

He couldn't do it anymore. The moment their lips touched, he knew that he made a mistake. There was nobody in the world who could replace Usagi. He never should have let her go. He didn't want to let her go ever again. If he had just been less stubborn, they would be together. She would be getting married to _him_.

But she wasn't. Usagi was getting married to someone else, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.


	6. Chapter 5

Here's the last chapter! I really hope you enjoyed To See You Again.

I'm not sure when I'll start my next fic, but hopefully it will be soon!

Enjoy!

* * *

"Is she here?" Mamoru asked Motoki frantically, slamming his hands down onto the counter. The blonde blinked, taken aback by his friend's abruptness.

"She took the day off. Why?"

Mamoru slumped into a stool, ignoring the fact that it wasn't his usual one. Motoki raised an eyebrow. "Usagi trouble?" Mamoru glanced up at his friend.

"I fucked up, Motoki. I told her I love her, and now she'll never want to see me again."

Motoki's eyes widened. " _You're_ what she was crying about on the phone this morning?"

Mamoru slammed his forehead into the counter, letting out a grumble. Motoki scratched the back of his head.

"You know what, I'm gonna make your favorite. Black coffee. And guess what? It's on the house!" he exclaimed, flipping the switch on the machine. He frowned when nothing happened, trying it again. Motoki glanced inside and let out a quiet curse. "Actually, we're out of coffee beans… but! I'll go look for more in the pantry. I'll be right back."

Motoki slipped into the small closet leaving Mamoru alone. He repeatedly smacked his head on the counter, mumbling a small "why" with every thump.

"Relationship problems?"

Mamoru started, glancing up. Sometime during the head slams, someone had sat next to him. He was quite a sight, wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap in the middle of winter. Mamoru sat up straight and turned to the newcomer, sighing.

"How did you know?" The stranger shrugged.

"Lucky guess. Probably just me trying to project my own feelings on someone else and actually being right about it." He laughed, a hint of sorrow peeking through. "What happened to you?" Mamoru resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He was not in the mood to talk to some stranger about 'girl problems', but he didn't seem to be going anywhere.

"I ruined things with my ex. I realized how much I regret everything, but she's marrying someone else and she hates me now," he explained, leaning backward. The newcomer nodded.

"That sucks." The stranger leaned on the table and stared at the prize booth, where Unazuki was handing a little girl and rabbit plushie. Mamoru blew his bangs out of his eyes.

"And you?"

The stranger laughed sadly once more. "My fiance called off our wedding. Said that she was in love with someone else." Mamoru stiffened. It _couldn't_ be… could it?

"I'm sorry," he managed to get out. The stranger smiled.

"I'll be fine. She never was really too committed in the relationship anyway. As long as she's happy, I am too."

"I found coffee beans!" Motoki shouted, exiting the pantry. Upon seeing the two men, he rose an eyebrow.

"Hey Motoki. Mind brewing me one too?" the stranger asked. Motoki nodded, beginning to start up the machine.

"Sure thing." He filled up two mugs and slid them over to the guys, giving Mamoru a confused look. The man sitting next to him reached into his pocket and groaned.

"Left my wallet in the car. I'll be right back." He stood up and walked out the glass doors, keeping his head low. Motoki turned to his best friend, who was lifting his mug up to his lips.

"What?"

Motoki blinked. "What are you doing with Seiya?" Mamoru nearly fell out his seat, shaking the mug and spilling a few drops on the counter.

"As in…"

"Usagi's _fiance_ ," Motoki explained. Mamoru put down the coffee and stood up, stumbling over his own feet. Mamoru sprinted across the arcade, almost knocking down numerous small children

"Mamoru, what's going on?" Motoki called after him, but he was long gone.

* * *

The elevator couldn't go up fast enough. With every number that passed, Mamoru's heart rate seemed to speed up. He needed to see her. He needed to hold her. To kiss her.

The doors opened and he threw himself into the hallway. He had frantically called Rei and asked for her address, to which she had knowingly given it to him. Mamoru sped to her apartment complex, running multiple red lights and almost missing most of the turns.

He scanned the numbers as he ran. 30… 32… 34… 36…

His eyes landed on 38 B and he stopped dead in his tracks. The reality of the situation came crashing down on him. Usagi had broken up with her fiance for him. She completely changed her life to be with him. How could he trust himself with her? He managed to break her heart once, what if he did it again? He couldn't do that to her. He couldn't do that to _himself_.

Still, even after all that time, they never stopped loving each other. If they weren't meant to be together, they would have gotten over their feelings, right? Then again, loving each other didn't stop him from breaking up with her in the first place.

The door swung open, and Mamoru nearly fell over. Usagi made eye contact with him, her short hair pulled up into odango that barely reached her chin. His eyes drifted down to her left hand, noticing the absence of a certain ring. She followed his gaze and blinked at her bare hand before smiling at him with a slight nod.

Their bodies crashed into each other, their knees giving out as they collapsed to the floor. He squeezed her tightly, burying his face into her hair. Sobs escaped her mouth, and he rubbed her arm softly as he whispered reassurances into her ear. Usagi dug her fingers into his back, gripping Mamoru's shirt as he was going to vanish if she let go.

"Mamo-chan I…" she cried, a loud sob interrupting her.

"Shh, it's okay Usa. It's okay," he whispered. Usagi snuggled her face even farther into his chest, sniffling harshly.

"I love you," she confessed as she nuzzled her forehead against his body.

"I know," he murmured back, kissing the top of her head.

She pushed back slightly, her teary eyes connecting with his. She beamed, pulling the collar of his shirt down and meeting his lips in a sloppy, teary kiss. The feeling made his heart soar, as if the hole in his heart had magically amended itself. Every brush of her lips on his or touch of their tongues was like breathing air after suffocating for years.

Usagi gently pulled away, resting her forehead against his. He placed a kiss on her nose, unable to take the goofy smile off his face.

Mamoru twisted a stand of blonde hair around his finger. "You know, Odango, I kinda like the shorter twintails."

She laughed, and everything was right in the world.

* * *

Mamoru twirled Usagi around, her glistening, white dress billowing around her. She watched the room spin around her, taking in all of her friends and family's happy faces. She smiled widely as Mamoru pulled her back into his chest, his eyes soft as he led her across the room.

It was definitely not their first dance of the night, but every time he spun her or dipped her, she would get butterflies just like she did in their first rehearsal.

Mamoru's fingers played with the back of her dress, slightly tickling the skin underneath. She giggled at the contact, his smile growing every time the sweet noise would escape her lips.

The music changed, and he dipped her into a kiss. The crowd cheered, and she noticed the blush growing on Mamoru's cheeks. Usagi smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist. He played with her twintails as they swayed, the hair now reaching her mid-back. She snuggled into his chest, taking in his intoxicating scent of roses and coffee.

"May I cut in?" she heard a voice say from behind her. Usagi lifted her head up, smiling at the person behind her. She looked to Mamoru for reassurance, and he laughed.

"Go on. I need a bathroom break anyway," he told her, kissing her forehead before walking away.

Seiya extended his hand, and she took it into her own. They began to dance, and she looked at him happily.

"I didn't think you were going to come," she told him, a hint of playfulness in her voice. Seiya laughed.

"Come on, I needed to see you on your wedding day, even if the groom isn't me." Usagi smiled sadly.

"How's Kakyuu doing?" she asked, attempting to change the subject. Seiya's face immediately shifted into one of pure love, as he looked across the room at the Kinmokuian princess.

"She's great. I'm really happy to have found her." He smiled at Usagi, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "It really was for the best that we broke up. If we hadn't, I would never have been with Kakyuu and you wouldn't be getting married to Mamoru right now." Usagi nodded.

"Seiya, I've been meaning to say thank you. For everything. You really helped me through a tough situation, and I don't know what I would have done if it wasn't for you. Even though we didn't end up together, I don't regret a thing." Seiya tapped one of her buns.

"Same here, Dango." He stepped back, nodding toward the other side of the room where Mamoru was standing, watching the two interact. "Go. Your prince is waiting." They exchanged a bittersweet look before heading off in different directions.

Usagi curled into Mamoru's side as he slid an arm around her waist. "How's Seiya doing?" he asked as he rested his head on hers. She glanced over at Seiya and Kakyuu, who were locked in an embrace similar to the one they were in.

"Great. I'm really happy for him." She smiled at Mamoru, who was watching the couple on the other side of the room.

"They look really happy," he stated, returning his gaze to his bride. She could've melted at the love seeming to radiate from him. She smiled brightly and tightened her arms.

"Yeah." She threaded her fingers through his silky, black locks. "But I bet we're happier." Mamoru caressed her cheek as her heels subconsciously began to raise.

"Usa, there's no man in the world as happy as I am right now." He captured her lips, and she smiled into the kiss.

"Maybe not, but I can think of a happier woman," she confessed, feeling the corners of his mouth turn upward.

* * *

And that's it! Thank you to everyone that followed and left a review. It really means a lot to me!


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